The present invention relates generally to the field of wheeled carts such as to those used as grocery shopping carts in supermarkets and the like, and more particularly, is directed to a new and improved bottom-supported basket having coupling means for quickly and releasably coupling the basket to a frame or chassis.
Ideally, carts of this type, and particularly those used in supermarkets and grocery stores, should have the following characteristics. First, they should be able to withstand a great deal of abuse, particularly to the basket portion. Carts are continuously impacted with one another and with stationary objects. Second, the carts should be easy to push and to maneuver. The condition of the wheels has a great effect on this characteristic, but so does the weight of the cart. Third, the carts should be of such design and such surface finish as not to have a propensity to collect dirt and contaminants. Fourth, the carts should be able to withstand cleaning by strong detergents or steam. Fifth, the carts usually must have sides of openwork construction, because customers wish to be able to observe the contents of the carts from any angle. Sixth, the carts should be attractive and should maintain their attractiveness over a long period of time.
For the most part, the carts present in the prior art comprise a tubular metal frame to which is attached a basket of open wire-work construction. The wires are in various crossing patterns, and they are usually welded together at the crossing points. Heavier wire reinforcement is used where necessary. Conventionally, the cart frame and the basket are integral with one another. That is, the basket wires and the frame components are welded together at appropriate points, or the wires are interlocked with the frame components. To promote cleanliness and attractiveness, the entire cart is chrome plated. Sometimes plastic or rubber bumpers are installed at strategic points, such as corners.
The prior art carts do not satisfy all of the requirements set forth above. The deficiencies have chiefly to do with the basket portion. The wires in the basket are welded at the crossing points, and the basket is then chrome-plated, the latter to provide a smooth, cleanable, attractive surface. The welding process for such an item is intricate, as is the plating process. It is therefore not uncommon to have welds and plating of marginal quality so that, upon hard impact, or upon a series of impacts over a period of time, wire welds and the plating are broken. The plating is also subject to being removed by wear and by scraping against other objects. This allows the base metal to rust. Also, if the basket is used in an environment where corrosion of metals is a problem, such as in grocery stores, the base metal exposed at the broken welds will corrode. The cart, and particularly the basket, then becomes unsightly and unattractive. At those same exposed points, food particles can become entrapped in small cracks and crevices, even if the baskets are periodically cleaned, resulting in an unsanitary condition. In addition, articles placed in the basket can become pinched or snared by the unsecured wires and plating, causing inconvenience for the customer and inflicting damage to the goods. Impacts also frequently cause the basket to be deformed inwardly, giving rise to all of the above problems.
Repair of cart baskets is a problem in itself, because it is difficult to bend the wires back into shape, and it is difficult and expensive to reweld and replate them. The cart frame and the basket are often integral with one another in prior art carts, and therefore they cannot easily be taken apart to allow repair or replacement of components. To replace the basket, welds must be broken, then replaced. Or, complicated bending and interlocking of wires is necessary during disassembly and assembly. Usually, the cart is simply not reparied. When it becomes too unsightly or too unsanitary to be used, it is discarded. The loss of the entire cart for the sake of the basket is certainly uneconomical.
While prior art plastic baskets as disclosed in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,774 permits a more easy replacement of the basket than possible with baskets of wire construction known in the prior art, an effect is still required to uncouple the reinforcing wires from the upstanding posts of the frame. Moreover, prior art plastic basket designs do not optimize storage capacity and grocery store shopper convenience while still permitting nesting of the baskets and maintaining an aesthetically pleasing design.
Prior art carts are also quite heavy, making them difficult to push and to maneuver, especially if they have some malfunction of the wheels.
The prior art carts, when in prime condition, meet some of the above requirements. However, they deteriorate rather quickly, and soon become unsatisfactory in a number of these areas.